Luxury Mozambique Beach Lodge | Azura Quilalea

The place

A helicopter flies us across bright blue waters dotted with the miniscule shapes of wooden dhows as they sail past the many islands that make up the Quirimbas Archipelago. I grab my partner’s hand as we slowly descend to our private 34ha island, feeling like we’re in a dream. The sensation continues as we walk through a forest interspersed with ancient baobabs to Azura Quilalea Private Island Lodge. And what a first impression! Nine lavish villas are perched on the water’s edge, a Robinson Crusoe-like island fantasy. We’re even offered the choice of sunrise or sunset views – an easy decision given that we’re late sleepers!

A helicopter flies us across bright blue waters dotted with the miniscule shapes of wooden dhows as they sail past the many islands that make up the Quirimbas Archipelago.

I grab my partner’s hand as we slowly descend to our private 34ha island, feeling like we’re in a dream. The sensation continues as we walk through a forest interspersed with ancient baobabs to Azura Quilalea Private Island Lodge.

And what a first impression! Nine lavish villas are perched on the water’s edge, a Robinson Crusoe-like island fantasy. We’re even offered the choice of sunrise or sunset views – an easy decision given that we’re late sleepers!

The room

Made from locally-sourced materials, with its makuti thatch roof, coral-stone walls and reed-shuttered windows and doors (we leave these open for the enticing sea views and cooling breezes), our beachfront villa invites nature in. The interior is spacious and breezy with island hues of blues and whites, featuring a king-sized bed enveloped in mosquito nets and a separate bathroom with his-and-hers basins that look like upturned shells. We walk onto our private terrace, which has a daybed, seating area, and separate sundeck with loungers facing the ocean. Here, we can look out at the horizon over the impossibly blue waters of this marine sanctuary, perhaps catching a glimpse of a school of dolphin. The coral is just footsteps away – so we kick off our shoes and clothing and run hand-in-hand into the water with our snorkelling gear, eager to discover what wonders lie beneath. Tomorrow we’ll go kayaking.

Made from locally-sourced materials, with its makuti thatch roof, coral-stone walls and reed-shuttered windows and doors (we leave these open for the enticing sea views and cooling breezes), our beachfront villa invites nature in.

The interior is spacious and breezy with island hues of blues and whites, featuring a king-sized bed enveloped in mosquito nets and a separate bathroom with his-and-hers basins that look like upturned shells.

We walk onto our private terrace, which has a daybed, seating area, and separate sundeck with loungers facing the ocean. Here, we can look out at the horizon over the impossibly blue waters of this marine sanctuary, perhaps catching a glimpse of a school of dolphin. The coral is just footsteps away – so we kick off our shoes and clothing and run hand-in-hand into the water with our snorkelling gear, eager to discover what wonders lie beneath. Tomorrow we’ll go kayaking.

What sets it apart

If having your own private butler on an exclusive island – where yours is one of only nine luxury villas – isn’t the epitome of island paradise, I don’t know what is. The only thing that could top our experience would be having the entire island to ourselves (this is indeed an option for families, groups of friends or a really special honeymoon!) Staff at Azura Quilalea Private Island spoilt us with romantic candlelit dinners on the beach, breakfast on the water’s edge and picnics right on the sand; the food was some of the most delicious I’ve tasted and we never ate at the same place twice. Local delicacies such as mangrove crabs and crayfish were just some of the seafood delights on offer. Leisurely walks took us past towering baobabs to the turtle-nesting beach, where we watched in awe as tiny turtles made their perilous way to the ocean. We snorkelled the beautiful coral gardens right off our beach, scuba dived the deeper reefs and went deep-sea fishing. I’ll always remember sipping cocktails while watching the sun go down from the plunge pool, the indulgent massages at the breathtaking cliff-top spa and watching the stars at night from our villa’s telescope. It’s the perfect formula for island romance.

If having your own private butler on an exclusive island – where yours is one of only nine luxury villas – isn’t the epitome of island paradise, I don’t know what is. The only thing that could top our experience would be having the entire island to ourselves (this is indeed an option for families, groups of friends or a really special honeymoon!)

Staff at Azura Quilalea Private Island spoilt us with romantic candlelit dinners on the beach, breakfast on the water’s edge and picnics right on the sand; the food was some of the most delicious I’ve tasted and we never ate at the same place twice. Local delicacies such as mangrove crabs and crayfish were just some of the seafood delights on offer.

Leisurely walks took us past towering baobabs to the turtle-nesting beach, where we watched in awe as tiny turtles made their perilous way to the ocean.

We snorkelled the beautiful coral gardens right off our beach, scuba dived the deeper reefs and went deep-sea fishing. I’ll always remember sipping cocktails while watching the sun go down from the plunge pool, the indulgent massages at the breathtaking cliff-top spa and watching the stars at night from our villa’s telescope. It’s the perfect formula for island romance.

At a glance

Private island lodge with nine luxury villas (four kusi villas, four kaskazi villas and Villa Quilalea, which has its own private pool). The lodge has an infinity pool, TV lounge, spa and dive centre.
Exclusive island location, private butler, individual dining and flexible schedules.
Kayaking, scuba diving and lessons (one free reef dive per day), snorkelling (additional cost), beach picnics, deep-sea fishing (additional cost), dhow sailing, swimming, walking, guided birdwatching (additional cost), turtle nesting (seasonal, additional cost), stargazing, helicopter tours (additional cost), whale watching (seasonal, additional cost), island tours (additional cost), coconut plantation visit (additional cost), spa treatments (additional cost) and cultural visits (additional cost).
Children welcome with babysitting available. Certain activities are age restricted.

Private island lodge with nine luxury villas (four kusi villas, four kaskazi villas and Villa Quilalea, which has its own private pool). The lodge has an infinity pool, TV lounge, spa and dive centre.
Exclusive island location, private butler, individual dining and flexible schedules.
Kayaking, scuba diving and lessons (one free reef dive per day), snorkelling (additional cost), beach picnics, deep-sea fishing (additional cost), dhow sailing, swimming, walking, guided birdwatching (additional cost), turtle nesting (seasonal, additional cost), stargazing, helicopter tours (additional cost), whale watching (seasonal, additional cost), island tours (additional cost), coconut plantation visit (additional cost), spa treatments (additional cost) and cultural visits (additional cost).
Children welcome with babysitting available. Certain activities are age restricted.

Prices

Not only do African safari lodge prices shift with the seasons, they also change based on your length of stay, room type, travel party composition, special offers, if your trip involves stays at sister lodges – and for more reasons besides.
It’s worth noting that depending on your itinerary, your lodge cost will make up about 75–85% of your total safari trip cost.
Our safaris are tailor-made to match your personal safari dream, we’d be delighted if you’d allow us to create a bespoke proposal for you. Simply enquire now – our quotes are complimentary and obligation-free.
However, to help you get an idea of safari lodge prices we’ve created three safari-lodge categories with various price ranges, to find out more click here.

Not only do African safari lodge prices shift with the seasons, they also change based on your length of stay, room type, travel party composition, special offers, if your trip involves stays at sister lodges – and for more reasons besides.
It’s worth noting that depending on your itinerary, your lodge cost will make up about 75–85% of your total safari trip cost.
Our safaris are tailor-made to match your personal safari dream, we’d be delighted if you’d allow us to create a bespoke proposal for you. Simply enquire now – our quotes are complimentary and obligation-free.
However, to help you get an idea of safari lodge prices we’ve created three safari-lodge categories with various price ranges, to find out more click here.